r18novel Chapter 51 This is Chinese Hot Pot
Chapter 51 This is Chinese Hot Pot
As for why there are Chinese people setting up stalls in the East District... that's really rude of them. These are the Fujianese people who can sell instant noodles and self-heating hot pots all the way to the rainforest!
Although most Chinese people live in Chinatown, there are always some who slip through the cracks in other areas. It's perfectly normal for some to see the business opportunity and set up stalls.
Avoiding things that might cause allergies, Jung Eun bought a lot of ingredients commonly used in hot pot at the stall, such as various meatballs, shrimp balls, and enoki mushrooms, and returned home with a full load.
The uncle selling the goods waved enthusiastically as he left, saying, "It's delicious, come again next time!"
"Great, great!"
Casey listened from the side, feeling as if she were hearing gibberish.
By the time I finished shopping, it was getting dark. The sun was blocked by the towering buildings, and all I could see was a large expanse of hazy, yellowish sunset.
The market area has a large flow of people, and it's easy to hail a taxi. Zheng En waved and a taxi stopped.
The two took a taxi back, only to find that the alley where the homeless children lived was too narrow for the car to enter, so they could only pile the bags of food at the entrance of the alley.
"Well, it looks like we'll have to make a few more trips."
Jung Eun picked up the groceries and was about to go inside when Casey ran up to him and shook her head. "Everyone should be back by now."
"You wait here, I'll go get them!"
She was afraid that Zheng En would refuse, so she ran away as fast as she could, jumping and skipping.
There are no streetlights in this alley, and as the sky darkens, the light that spills out when the door is pushed open seems exceptionally bright.
Warm yellow light spilled out from the small, narrow door, and little children, bulging like beans, hopped and skipped out.
They were of varying sizes, and most of them wore old clothes, but when they ran out, each of them had an irrepressible joy on their face, their eyes sparkling, and they ran towards Zheng En, embracing him in the middle.
"Wow, so much food! Is all of this for us?"
The tallest of the children only reached Zheng En's chest, his mouth agape in a wide grin, his eyes brimming with anticipation. Someone peeked through the gap in the tied bag and exclaimed in delight, "So much meat and vegetables!"
They chirped and chattered around Zheng En like sparrows, their voices, some clear and crisp, others hoarse and rough, mixed with the sound of swallowing saliva.
"Yes, these are all for you."
Zheng En patted the heads of the people who were closest to him, and after receiving an affirmative answer, they cheered a little and spontaneously went to move the things.
If one child can't carry it, two or three children will carry it together. The child called "Big Guy" is the strongest and can carry a big bag by himself, walking steadily and quickly.
There were far more homeless children than Zheng En had imagined; they didn't even need to turn back, they could carry all their belongings in one go.
Jung Eun initially thought the room was nice, but after learning that so many children were crammed together, she felt the room was too small.
He had assumed there were only four or five children living there, which, while a bit cramped, was still within an acceptable range. However, upon entering the house and scanning around, he discovered that there were a total of seven children.
Among them are big guys and Jason, who are all at or about to develop. In a few years, this place will definitely not be able to accommodate so many people.
The children who came in first carried their things to the back, then huddled up to Zheng En, asking, "What's next? What should we do?"
Passing him, Zheng En saw that some children had already started unpacking and taking out food and pots.
"Let's take everything out first."
He smiled and glanced at the layout of the room. There were electrical outlets and a table, but the table wasn't big enough for everyone.
Zheng En stopped Jason, "How do you guys usually eat?"
"Just find a place to sit or stand."
Jason seemed a little uncomfortable from the moment he first saw Jung Eun, his brows furrowed with embarrassment. "We usually... rarely cook, and we mostly eat bread." It's the easiest food to store and steal.
"Hmm...it's okay, it's not a problem."
Zheng En stroked his chin, clapped his hands, and beckoned the children over. "I need you to clear out a clean, open space, big enough for everyone to sit together."
The children readily agreed and quickly began to tinker.
Seeing that Jung Eun was just watching from the sidelines and didn't seem to be making any cooking, Casey couldn't help but lean over and ask, "So what are you planning to cook?"
She had seen middle-aged women with black hair and black eyes cooking. Some apartment buildings had communal kitchens, and when she passed by during mealtimes, she could always smell the delicious aroma of the dishes.
The older woman flipped the pot around so fast it looked amazing.
When Jung Eun said she wanted to "have a good meal," she thought of the image of an older woman flipping a wok.
Casey looked at Jung Eun expectantly, "Can you pick up the pot and shake it up and down?"
Jason also imagined the scene Casey described. He knew more about Zheng En, and after witnessing the other man drive a car after a car accident and beat up thugs, his stereotypes about Chinese people became even stronger.
Knowing Chinese Kung Fu and being able to cook delicious food seem like things that should be taken for granted.
Jung Eun laughed heartily as the two children looked at him. "Actually, I don't know how to cook at all." If he could cook, he wouldn't need to eat out or order takeout every meal.
Jason: "Huh?"
Casey: "Huh?"
The children, upon hearing this, exclaimed, "Huh?"
The other children, oblivious to what was happening over there and looking completely bewildered, exclaimed, "Huh?"
None of the children had expected this answer, and before the astonishment on their faces had faded, they heard Zheng En continue.
"However, Chinese culture is profound and extensive, and no one says that you can't make delicious food if you can't cook."
The sudden influx of foreign proverbs, coupled with complex sentence structures using double negatives to express affirmation, left a group of uneducated children completely bewildered.
However, with the positive attitude of "who cares what he says, there's plenty of food, we won't go hungry," everyone still responded with "uh-huhs" and "yeahs," giving Jung Eun plenty of face.
Turning her back, Casey nudged Jason and asked, "What was he saying just now?"
Jason shook his head. "I didn't understand either."
Zheng En fell silent after hearing the two children talking. Every single one of these children should be arrested and sent to school.
The children worked together and quickly completed all the preparations.
The extra-large iron pot and induction cooker that Zheng En bought for a group meal were placed in the center of the room, with wooden boards underneath them, and the floor had been swept.
Everyone sat in a circle, each holding a bowl, spoon, and fork, quietly waiting for the water to boil.
"Once the water boils, you can add all kinds of ingredients, and they're ready to eat once they're cooked."
After the water boiled, Zheng En put in the hot pot base, and then added various ingredients such as beef slices, lamb slices, and baby bok choy.
The boiling steam, carrying a delicious aroma, wafted onto the children's faces. The hazy mist and dim light couldn't hide their blissful expressions and sparkling eyes.
The children's eyes were firmly fixed on the steaming pot.
Zheng En explained, "This is Chinese hot pot."